MONSTER FROM GREEN HELL (1958)

[scsu1975]

This movie entertained me as a kid... but it stinks now. It's hard to imagine that a giant bug movie could be boring ... cheap, perhaps, poorly acted, perhaps, but not boring. Well, this one is boring.

Jim Davis and Robert Griffin are working out of a laboratory that appears to be in Monument Valley. I'm sure the Native Americans were thrilled about this. Anyway, these two clowns send some wasps into space, while we are treated to a typical Albert Glasser headache-inducing opening theme. The rocket crash-lands in Africa, and the wasps are exposed to radiation. Naturally, they grow to about the size of Orson Welles. Vladimir Sokoloff, not playing a Mexican for a change, portrays a scientist who goes off to investigate rumors about giant monsters. Adios, Vladimir. Meanwhile, Davis and Griffin arrive and wander aimlessly through the jungle for about thirty minutes of movie time, twenty of which is footage from Stanley and Livingstone. Boring. In the tight shots, we can see binoculars around the neck of Davis. In the long shots, the binoculars are gone, probably because Davis has changed into Spencer Tracy's stand-in. Their Arab guide is played by Eduardo Ciannelli, who specializes in cooking Ziti Allah Dente. Barbara Turner, who plays Sokoloff's daughter, comes along for the ride. Turner has the personality of a box of hair.

The wasps knock off a couple of natives onscreen, and several offscreen. They also scare animals and kill one snake. On occasion, they sound like Rodney Dangerfield passing gas in Caddyshack. In the exciting climax, Davis & Co. look on as the wasps are incinerated in a volcano. Stupefying. "Nature has a way of correcting its own mistakes," concludes Griffin. Unfortunately, the same does not apply to filmmakers.



Jock Ewing welcomes J.R. into the world.







Jim Davis looks on with skepticism as Robert Griffin tries to sell him a cattle ranch
named "Southfork" in the north of Africa.







Hey, didn't I see this scene in Stanley and Livingstone ?







To combat insomnia, Jim Davis counts natives.







"Ayatollah you I'ma no good for thisa part."







Hey, didn't I see this scene in Stanley and Livingstone ?







"You're gonna need a bigger can of Raid."







Vladimir Sokoloff, as Charlie Chan, Jungle Doctor, finally calls out Mantan Moreland.







Orson Buggy.

[HollywoodGolightly]

Bad movies can be a lot of fun, but I get worried if you warn us that it's boring.

 

Still, that "Orson Buggy" looks like it'd make a nifty pet.

[garand]

Think I have a lobby card for this movie laying around somewhere - in Spanish no less. Will have to find it, photograph it and post it.

[TripleHHH]

I have the Wade Willaims DVD of this...its a guilty pleasure and I know its a low budget but I like monster movies...so ...I have it